Fossil Huntress — Palaeo Sommelier13 Tammi 2021

Geologic Time & the Periodic Table

Part of our ability to date the rock sequences we see in the world and determine which are older and which younger has to do with simple observation. We see that older rocks contain trilobites and a wee bit above those we see ammonites, then clams and oysters in newer sediments. For a long time, this simple observation held us in good stead. We had a relative timescale for the Earth and this allowed us to piece together the biologic and geologic picture much clearer.

To understand and date rock in absolute terms required advances in science, in chemistry in particular, that we achieved in large part by 1895. This was the beginning of our understanding of distinct elements and the periodic table of elements. To many, the table is a memory of science classes from our youth and long forgotten. But in the period table, we find both the tremendous history of human achievement and the aha moments that help us to understand simple yet complex concepts like radioisotope decay — the genius tool we use for the absolute dating of rocks and fossils.

To that end, I highly recommend Sam Kean's book, The Disappearing Spoon. It is a tasty romp through madness, love and the history of the world through the eyes of the periodic table. You may find that within the stories that the table becomes more real for you and that the mysteries it holds are more easily within your grasp.

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What Killed the Dinosaurs?

Today on the show, we travel back in time to the Late Cretaceous, some 66 million years ago, when death fell from the sky.

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Ammonoids & Conodonts: Triassic Exposures of Nevada

Step into the sunbaked folds of West Union Canyon, just beyond Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada, and you are quite literally walking along one of North America’s most important geological fault...

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Descendants of the Cambrian: Sea Anemones

At first glance, anemones look like soft blossoms anchored to rock, their tentacles swaying with the tide. But look a little closer and you’ll see a skilled predator at work. Each of those delicate ar...

8 Huhti 3min

Hawai'i: Islands Born of Fire

Long, long ago—millions of years before you or me, before the canoes of the Polynesian voyagers, before the first birds ever touched these shores—there was only ocean. A vast blue desert stretching fa...

27 Syys 20256min

Dinosaurs, Ammonites, Trilobites: What is Paleontology

Join in the exploration of the fascinating science of paleontology — that lens that examines ancient animals, plants & ecosystems from wee single-celled organisms to big & mighty dinosaurs.

22 Huhti 20256min

Stone, Bone & Water: Cretaceous Capilano Fossil Field Trip

Cretaceous Capilano Fossil Field Trip — From downtown Vancouver, drive north through Stanley Park and over the Lion’s Gate Bridge. Take the North Vancouver exit toward the ferries. Turn right onto Tay...

12 Huhti 20257min

Woolly Mammoths: Trumpeting Through the Tundra

Woolly Mammoths – Picture a towering, shaggy titan lumbering across a frozen expanse, as winds howl through its dense, draping fur. This is the Woolly Mammoth—an Ice Age icon that could stand up to 11...

7 Huhti 202511min

Theropods of a Feather: Living Dinosaurs, the Birds

Welcome to the Fossil Huntress Podcast. Today on the show we’re talking about living dinosaurs—our avian friends, the birds. From the tiniest hummingbird to the towering ostrich, these feathered creat...

1 Huhti 20258min